Lessons from baby for CEOs

Baby CEO

Everything I need to know I learned from my four-month old daughter, Charlize.
I started to observe and learn many things from my newborn. I was gaining insight and inspiration from little Charlize. Things that we are all aware of but take for granted due to our fast-paced life.
First and foremost, my baby lives in the moment, in the true sense of the word. My baby does it naturally. She just goes through her day living from moment to moment.
Secondly, she communicates effectively. She gets our attention when she wants it, without any regard for what is happening around her. When something is not to her liking, Charlize won’t sugar-coat it. She will let you know how she feels instantly. How many adults don’t tell you how they really feel or have trouble communicating?
Whenever I am in the middle of doing something “important”, she reminds me: “Dad you know what you’re doing is not really that important”. She’s right, this little four-month old with no formal education or experience makes me realize this.
Third, my little baby reminds me to laugh. Laugh at a situation, laugh at myself or laugh at the world in general. How many of us don’t laugh as much as we should.
Babies force us to not take ourselves too seriously. Do you ever notice how people act, no matter their age when they’re around babies? Do the words cuchi-cuchi coo ring a bell?
Fourth, my baby finds new things interesting no matter what she runs into. Babies have no preconceived notions about the world around them. They just discover new things and enjoy them whether they are objects, people and pets.
How many people are afraid of trying something new?
My baby does something that most of us should be doing. She doesn’t multi-task and she’s not afraid of making mistakes. How many adults are petrified of making even a small mistake in front of others in fear of being judged?
I was sure there was a scientific explanation and was trying to make connections in order to apply what I learned to the real world. Being family I would save on consulting fees (grin.)
I found a great article on the subject by Jocelyn K. Glei, which really illuminated what I was observing. She found that a baby’s ability to explore, experiment, and make mistakes is an essential part of the creative process.
When we are at the height of our creativity, our brainwaves reflect a deeply meditative or “theta” pattern. This is characterized by the ability to shut out the world around us and deeply focus and connect with the task at hand. This is exactly what a baby does.
Let’s look at a practical example. One day, little Charlize will want to walk. When she does, she won’t be thinking, “Will I make it to daddy holding the shiny red toy in his hand, or if I fall will daddy laugh at me?”
Babies, unlike adults, are less concerned with getting things right or how people will view them if they fail. Babies teach us to experiment and to keep trying. They teach us to not worry about looking foolish.
A remarkable thing that babies teach us is the power of a smile. A baby can disarm anyone, and I mean anyone, with a smile. What a wonderful world this would be.
Finally, babies teach about love, simple, unconditional love. No matter what they do, they get a free pass. We just forgive. Forgiveness, what a grand idea to embrace, especially during the festive season.
My baby’s ‘chief exploration officer’ qualities are living in the moment, communicating effectively, laughing while exploring with a smile, focusing and not worrying about failure.